World, Togas, St. Patty's...

Sorry it has taken so long for me to write...needless to say I realized that I was here for school and actually had to read and write papers. But, oh the places I have been...

The World Bar is a bar located on the infamous King's Cross district. The was a ton of students who went down there on a Tuesday night for some drinks and karaoke. At the World bar they have these drinks called teapots. There are many different kinds, like skittle, long island, etc. etc. What the bartenders do is pour a mixture of shots and juice into a teapot and give you tiny shot glasses. The etiquette is you cannot drink directly from the teapot, but pour drinks into these shot glasses. Interestinggg. Then I was signed up for karaoke..naturally for Shania Twain's "Man I Feel Like A Woman" First karaoke experience. Basically going to be the next American...Australian Idol.

Toga Toga Toga! At the Ubar there was the huge Toga party...The whole university and their grandmothers showed up so when we arrived at 10 there was no room for us. Instead, a few of us headed to the Ranch in our togas and made our own gathering of sheets. Overall, great night. When I got home I was already wearing a sheet so no extra effort to get ready for bed.

On St. Patty's day a group of us dressed in green and travelled into the city to have dinner at Pancakes on the Rocks. This was the first sit down restaurant I have been to since I left the States. I had ribs and a giant dessert of chocolate pancakes topped with ice cream, strawberries, and chocolate drizzle. Very low cal--needless to say the plate was licked clean. After the filling meal, we headed for The Rocks. The Rocks is Australian's oldest point of the city, filled with bars, shops, cobble-stone streets--a great atmosphere for celebration. We went to the rooftop and afterward "Wizard of Oz'd" out to Circular Quay.

The summer weather apparently coming to an end, although by Michigan standards it is still pretty nice. Still on my mission to discover all the beaches here in Sydney, this week the crew went to a quaint, local beach south of Bondi, named Bronte. The waves would make a surfer drool, and the rock pool was beautiful. After being chased off the beach by threatening clouds, we started our journey home, where I was almost shut in the train doors. Surprised? Probably not.

I headed back to The Rocks to check out a market, where several vendors line the streets selling souvenirs, food, and "Johnny Fart Pants" (really hideous towel pants that are apparently useful and stylish?).

Still loving my time here! Still meeting lots of great people from all around the world and locally. This weekend I am heading south to Melbourne to see the city, an Aussie Rules Football game, and tour the Great Ocean Road. In 2 weeks time, my parents, grandma, and aunt will be joining me on this side of the world for a trip of a lifetime! Cannot wait!

Rainbows and Chinese Food

Mardi Gras. Traditionally, in the US, it is largely carnival festivities. Here in Australia, it is the largest gay/lesbian pride festival around. On Saturday (March 7, 2011), a group of us ventured into the city to see the parade.

On the way there, a few friends were asked to get off the train for the possession of alcohol. So naturally, our whole group got off the train to see them receive a "friendly" warning to not bring alcohol on the trains. We caught the next train to Town Hall, where we walked a few blocks to Stratton Hotel. The group of us sang along to the music and downed a few drinks, before setting off toward the parade.

Along the way, amongst all the colorfully and/ or scantily dressed mobs of people, I accidentally stepped on my friend's shoe, breaking it. She walked around the rest of the night with one shoe on, one shoe off. Thankfully, she didn't step on any glass! The crowd of people around Oxford Street was insane! Rainbows everywhere! The only way I could catch a glimpse of the parade was to sit on top of one of my guy friend's shoulders. The floats weren't your typical floats: Half naked men in speedos or chains and whips danced on top of trucks. Needless to say, it was interesting. The sights definitely packed the house.

After I saw about fifteen minutes of the parade, we met up with our lost friends at The Gaff. The Gaff is a multi-level club, with tons of room for dancing. So naturally, we danced the night away, until our feet gave out. Exhausted, we caught the last train back to Mac Uni.

Sunday is generally my designated homework day, just like back home. But to mix it up a little, my friend Lei from China, prepared an authentic Chinese meal for a few of us. I arrived at her apartment early, which might have been a mistake. For those of you who know me, I am not a patient person when it come to eating...I watched her prepare food for almost two hours, and I was almost dying from the anticipation. Trust me, it was well worth the weight ;) Afterward, I laid on the floor (Lei told me that the position I was laying in was the symbol in Chinese for big haha)

Until next time, G'day!

Just another day at the beach.

Sorry, it has been heaps of time since my last post. Good news: I haven't been bitten/attacked my anything poisonous (knock on wood), and I am still alive and kicking! Bad news: For all you Finding Nemo fans out there...It is unfortunate, but 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney does not exist.

Classes have started up. It has taken a little getting used to. The weather is still absolutely amazing, and I feel like I am on vacation, so focusing has taken a little getting used to. I am taking a Consumer Behavior class, Marketing Research, International Business, and Introduction to Cinema. All of them seem pretty interesting. The first week of classes didn't even seem like the first week, since the tutorials, just the lectures were scheduled. Therefore, I spent a majority of the week exploring a small sampling of the beaches around here.

Manly Beach is where all the volleyball is at, not to mention the waters are pristine. I have been there twice, and I highly recommend taking the fairy ride from Circular Quay to Manly Wharf. I have taken some killer shots of the harbor. There is a cute little beach town that you have to walk through to get to the beach, with delicious ice cream! Guaranteed you will leave there with a smile on your face and a small desert in your suit.

Coogee Beach hast to be one of my favorites. It's a quaint little beach, surrounded by towering cliffs. The waves crash further in shore, so if you swim out far enough you can just float, weightless for hours. These pictures from this beach were phenomenal (check them out on Facebook). There is a small ocean side pool, and I hiked along the cliff base for a good while. Kelli, you were right, its beautiful!

Coming up: Tonight we are going into the city to experience Mardi Gras! Should be quite the experience!

G'Day Mates!